user
Explain how a modern computer system works

assistant
A modern computer system is composed of both hardware and software components. The hardware components include the central processing unit (CPU), memory, storage, and peripherals such as keyboards, mouse, and monitors. The CPU performs all the calculations and processes instructions sent by the computer’s software. Memory is a physical component of the computer and temporarily stores data and instructions. Storage is a device that stores data and programs when the computer is turned off.

The software components of a computer system include the operating system, applications, system utilities, and drivers. The operating system is the base layer of a computer system and it is responsible for managing the hardware and software resources of the computer system. Applications are the actual programs that are executed by users. System utilities are programs that are used to manage the computer system such as files, hard drives, networks, and printers. Finally, drivers are computer programs that control the peripheral devices of the computer system such as a printer, mouse, or scanner.